Thursday, 11 December 2014

Not all short films have to have a shock value, some can make their point quite subtly. Jamie Hooper's latest, Terry and Brenda has a little of both.
The titular couple (Tim Blackwell and Debra Baker) are a typical slobby northern pair. They sit feeding their faces in their gaudily decorated living room, watching TV, discussing their friend's party and making lewd comments to each other. "I'll make fish fingers"; "I'll give you fish fingers later" However, you can tell there's something sinister underneath the banality. Well, it wouldn't be much of a horror short if there wasn't would it?

Without wanting to reveal too much of the film's secrets (it's only 15minutes long, and, as ever, the joy is in discovering for one's self), the film reveals the couple's strange peccadilloes (hinted at in the film poster) but also manages to completely subvert expectations a number of times.

Hooper has utilised a very simple setup - think The Royle Family - to create an atmosphere of disquiet. Following the otherwise mundane conversation (particularly hinted at in the film's tagline) leads the viewer to come to the natural conclusion of their intentions and sinister hobby. When the reality behind the couple's relationship is shown it's both a joy and a shock - but it's not over then. Further revelations make it even more fun and macabre. The performances are the right side of caricature, and while they could be in danger of going OTT, they manage to remain fun and alarmingly believable.

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not - and having seen photos of the actor 'looking normal' I can only assume it was - but Debra Baker's Brenda is a dead ringer for a young Queenie Watts, a regular feature in '60s and '70s British comedies. Without being overly showy, Hooper has made a fun short which will no doubt be a crowd pleaser at upcoming festivals. Make sure you see it should you get a chance - it might even inspire you to re-watch Robocop.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Unlike the other ‘novelty’ manuals which the esteemed
publishers Haynes produce alongside their car maintenance ones, this UFO tome
is actually of interest and manages to hold the attention longer than some.

What we have is actually an informative and engrossing look
at the UFO phenomena in all its forms, and from a very serious and rather
believable standing. From case files to hoaxes and all points in between the
author makes what could have been a throwaway lighthearted read into something
which makes one think.

Naturally, if you’re picking the book up, the chances are
you would have more than a passing interest in the notion – or indeed a little
glimmer of hope - that there’s life elsewhere. Over the course of 160-odd
pages, there’s plenty of food for thought, which might not convert the skeptics
but is certainly entertaining and informative enough to keep one turning the
pages.

Among the great chapters there’s some fantastic photographs,
and, as mentioned, the subject of hoaxes and fakes is covered with the same
seriousness and explains in detail how many of the images and videos have been
debunked – naturally one of the main parts of any UFO investigators’ jobs.

Mystical places are touched upon in one chapter, with the
stones at Stonehenge and Avebury as well as Glastonbury Tor being singled out.
The photos used to illustrate the informative text are as enthralling as they
should be. Regardless of one’s viewpoint, it’s certainly a page turner.

It’s a handsome book, which will no doubt keep you returning
to flick through and enjoy time and again. You never know, you may well pick up
some UFO spotting tips with the information given on how to actually go about
being a UFO investigator. Results are not guaranteed, but at least you’ll get
out in the open air.

It sure beats having a dog-eared, grease-stained copy of the
Haynes ’91 Fiesta Manual lying about.

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

With a set-up which could very well come from a
hard-hitting, serious drama, the short film El
Gigante attacks the senses from the get-go.

A young Mexican uses the last of his money to pay a smuggler
to get his wife and kids into America, leaving him to find his own way in.
Which he just about manages; through a fence and into the vast desert expanse
of the Southern States. A man he thinks will be his saviour will in fact plunge
him deep into a terrifying and painful ordeal.

He awakes in a filthy wrestling ring; a sackcloth mask
stitched onto his head, in front of him the thing of nightmares. A behemoth
named El Gigante.

Co-directed by Gigi Saul Guerreo and cinematographer Luke
Bramley, and based on the first chapter of a book by Shane McKenzie, the short
is an outlandish and haunting trip into the sick and depraved underbelly of
civilisation. The characters who populate the bizarre and disturbing world the
poor immigrant finds himself are the type who would keep David Lynch up at
night.

Shot with an eye for the grotesque, and a sound design just
as distressing as the visuals, El Gigante
provides an intriguing entre to the world McKenzie has created in his acclaimed
book Muerte Con Carne, and that might
well be the only downside to the short. It leaves you wanting more. Sure, the
scenes that play over the end credits are a satisfying coda, but this is merely
the first chapter of the book, and one can only hope Luchagore Productions
manage to raise the finances to expand El
Gigante to feature length. The original Kickstarter
pitch promised that this would be opening scene of the full movie, and what an
opener!

Within the short 14 minutes, the film pummels the senses
with a visceral attack as ferocious as the assault delivered by the wrestling
titan depicted. Not only with the actual ‘wrestling’ – which leaves the viewer
feeling as though they’ve been sucker-punched themselves – but in the things
that go on surrounding the ring. A ‘dog’ character – presumably a captive
stitched into a dog costume – is terrifying, running around and getting in the
face of the poor unfortunate immigrant and generally being scary. There’s also
a grubby, cackling family sat around watching the action, eagerly awaiting the
result.

For a short with such a low budget, everything screams
class. The set design is as outlandishly disturbing as it comes, one can almost
smell it. The practical make-up
effects are not overdone, giving them an even more real feel, and that sound! Watching the film on a PC
screener with headphones was a gut-wrenching experience, I can only imagine how
much more powerful it would be on a proper cinema system. The film is currently
doing the festival circuit, and hopefully everyone will get the chance to see
it, and the right people put their hands in their pockets to make the
feature-length version a reality. It needs
to happen!

Saturday, 25 October 2014

It’s always a pleasure to see low-budget indie films getting
the attention they deserve, and one such film that I’ve been championing for a
while received a special premiere screening this week in the town where it was
filmed, Crosby, Merseyside.Teaser trailer:

With Following the
Wicca Man, auteur in the making Jacqueline Kirkham (I’m not kidding – she wrote,
financed, produced, directed and acted in the film) has created an intriguing horror
film which draws its influence from real-life witchcraft and history. Jackie
herself dabbles in the art, as well as being a full-time photographer.

I reviewed the film for STARBURST
MAGAZINE a while ago, and the DVD will be available to buy on Amazon soon, having
successfully raised the money needed to put the film through the BBFC to get an
official certificate. It ended up being rated 15 (for strong sex…) although
there’s nothing really too extreme on screen.

The film went down really well with the Crosby audience, who
packed into the lovely art deco community cinema The Plaza. A couple of the
actors were in attendance, including some from the ‘risqué’ coven scene
(including Claire Kanika Murphy who was brave enough to do the nudity, and Kelly
Traynor, who told me in the pub get-together afterwards that she was pregnant
and showing when they filmed the scene, so had to keep her robes on and only be
filmed from chest height!)

It was a fabulous night which gained extensive publicity for
the film in the local Merseyside press, which will hopefully be replicated when
the film is finally released. When it
is, do buy it and support indie artists.

Sunday, 19 October 2014

The latest short from Rebekah McKendry, the Fangoria writer and former correspondent
for the web series Inside Horror, is
a smart comedy which takes a swipe at that scourge of modern low-budget
filmmaking - 'found footage'. Now, there have been some decent examples of the
subgenre, but by and large, it's a cheap copout for narrative and directorial
skills. McKendry's film (written by her husband, David Ian) is a smart and
welcome reprise to the onslaught of gore and shocks normally doled out in
shorts in an attempt to be seen.

What we have is just under five minutes of an advertisement
for the Found Footage Institute, a place of learning for those who wish to head
out on expeditions with their cameras. As well as educating, the FFI recovers
the footage left behind when filmmakers go invariably go missing; the institute
also develops cameras that are easy to detect (a particularly funny moment!)
and that capture more of the horrors going on around the filmmakers.

Not only is it fun to catch the sly references, the cast is
chock full of genre favourites. Keep an eye open for AJ Bowen (A Horrible Way to Die), Darren Lynn
Bousman (director of The Devil's Carnival), Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider director) among others.

There's no horror on show, but that doesn't matter as we all
know the tropes being lampooned and having the bubble pricked is certainly
welcome. I'm just surprised it's not played more festivals (it had a UK premiere at London's FrightFest in August) before being
made available online. Not that I'm complaining. I for one am certainly looking
forward to the next one!

Rebekah and David Ian's earlier shorts are just as much fun.
Particularly, the (very) short and sweet Witches
Brew (2013), in which Scream Queen Jessica Cameron (Truth or Dare) plays a Mom hosting a Halloween party for the local
kids, with the standard game in which the children feel various different things
pertaining to a the witches' hair, eyes, that sort of thing... Only naturally,
there's a sweet little twist which we don't have to wait too long for. Their
first short, The Dump (2012) is a wry
meeting of two serial killers at a remote national park where they both plan to
dispose of their respective prey.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

The first big budget (sort of) remake of the HG Wells
classic arrived in cinemas in the late '70s with a massive fanfare (I remember
the TV ads well) but then seemed to disappear from trace. Even the much-maligned
1996 version didn't resurrect interest in this rather impressive and luscious-looking
retelling.

Andrew Braddock (Michael York) is shipwrecked onto a desert
island, and is taken in by Dr. Moreau (Burt Lancaster) and his assistant Montgomery
(Nigel Davenport). Enamoured by the beautiful Maria (Barbara Carrera) and intrigued
by the strange-looking inhabitants he comes across when he's exploring the
island, Braddock discovers the Doc is conducting some terrible research which
involves turning animals into humans.

The original story, and indeed this version, raises all
kinds of ethical dilemmas that we take as no-brainers now (of course, we
shouldn't experiment on animals, genetic mutation is wrong, etc.) but when the
book, and even this version of the film, came out it was still a widespread occurrence.
As remakes go, this is quite impressive,
even if it does have a 'TV movie' quality to it - which is actually not a criticism,
but probably down to the transfer of the film to HD for the Blu-ray release.
The colour is vivid, lush, and absolutely beautiful. This naturally will show
up the imperfections in the make-up on the manimals. These are brilliant, very
much in the style of Planet of the Apes
(indeed, director Don Taylor made Escape)
but may well be a little too fake for today's audiences. There's nothing wrong
with them, though and they are quietly effective and very creepy. Richard
Basehart (the captain from the classic TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) takes the Bela Lugosi role of the
Sayer of the Law, and is brilliantly unrecognisable.

Lancaster's
Moreau has a more genial streak than the famous version Charles Laughton
portrayed, but is still mad as box of frogs. It's actually surprising that we
actually don't see much of what goes on in the House of Pain, but the constant
screams and howls which permeate the forest are enough to sicken any
right-thinking person.

More of an action-adventure than horror (it's initial
release was cut and rated "A" in the UK),
it's an entertaining, diverting romp, and even the normally wooden York manages to pull
together an engaging part. Add in the impressive man v. beast fight scenes
(which don't resort to the actor throwing around a stuffed toy in a pretend
fight) and it's worth a look.

101 Films have released the film on Blu-ray in the UK, and
although it's a bare bones release, it's a worthwhile purchase to either
discover or rediscover a piece of classic '70s cinema. Who doesn't love that poster?note: screengrabs are taken from an earlier DVD release, not the Blu-ray.

Friday, 3 October 2014

When the idea for The Herd was pitched on Kickstarter, I was very intrigued, and donated to the project. Now, several months down the line, the film has had its world premiere at Manchester's Grimmfest.

The simple, yet terrifying, premise here is a farm run by a group of sadistic captors, headed by the versatile and always brilliant Pollyanna McIntosh (Him Indoors, The Woman), who - rather than the usual cows - have a very sinister livestock - women. They are kept in cages in appalling conditions, raped and forced to have children, while the 'company' extract their milk. But to what end?

Directed by Melanie Light (who also worked behind the scenes on Him Indoors), this short - pitched and billed as a 'vegan feminist horror' hits home like a punch in the gut. It's difficult to go into too much detail, as it would take away a lot from the viewing, but rest assured, it's a film that if not changing opinion or dietary choices, will certainly open some eyes and minds.

Writer Ed Pope has given us a powerful story which has been delivered by a team who literally have given their all. The whole cast are superb - Jon Campling and Dylan Barnes are suitably nasty cohorts of Pollyanna's head captor, and all the caged women - Charlotte Hunter and Victoria Bloom particularly - deserve a hell of a lot of credit. There's even an appearance from the lovely Sarah Jane Honeywell (The Eschatrilogy), who manages to keep her face clean, unlike the other actors.
As said, it's a very thought provoking and disturbing film, and certainly not one to 'enjoy', but I figure that wasn't the intention. It's a remarkable film, which manages to blend horror with a genuine ethical message. It will make you think.

Animal lovers should be warned the end credits play out inter-cut with scenes of actual bovine cruelty, so they may want to avert their eyes at that point.

Thursday, 2 October 2014

The emergence of the
culture in which anyone can gain celebrity by doing stupid things on
YouTube is a primary influence on the story Scream Queen Jessica
Cameron and co-writer Jonathan Scott Higgins have concocted for
Cameron's directorial debut.

The Truth or Daredevils
are six youngsters, led by Cameron's Jennifer, who have become an
internet sensation by filming their variation of the drunken college
game, only with a bizarre, violent twist. When their biggest fan
Derik (Kiser) finds out they had faked their latest and most
audacious video - the killing of hapless stooge Tony (Brandon Van
Vliet) in a reverse Russian roulette routine - he decides to forcibly
join the group and make the videos much more real. Gate crashing
their next meeting, he makes them all reveal their hidden truths
while making their fake dares genuinely deadly. They are made to
perform extremely graphic and appalling stunts on each other, each
more twisted than the last, while all the time Derik has an eye on
the video hits.

Truth or Dare is
an incredibly shocking film, for several reasons. There is an
abundance of torture carried out toward the group by the crazed fan
Derik, to the point in which the old expression 'the lucky ones died
first' is actually correct. This in itself is neither surprising nor
unexpected, but the level of abuse and humiliation levelled at the
women was quite uncomfortable. It's even more shocking when you
remember the lovely Ms Cameron co-wrote and directed the film
herself. Without wanting to give spoilers, there are some moments
that one would not expect a female filmmaker to want to put her
fellow gender through. However, by making the viewer experience this
discomfort proves what a powerhouse director Cameron has the
potential to be. It goes beyond mere exploitation - frankly, had a
male director put some of the atrocities seen here on the screen they
would be accused of being misogynistic.

The back stories of the
crew that are revealed during the 'truth' part of the game are as
shocking and disturbing as the tortuous 'dares'; which is not to say
they are unbelievable, but it does highlight the point that we can
never really be sure how well we know our friends. It's a credit to
the entire cast that these revelations don't come across as
hackneyed, and actually make us begin to care for a group who
essentially are unlikable college reprobates.

By tackling the growing
phenomena of those so desperate for fame on the internet and reality
TV programmes that they will literally draw blood and mutilate, the
film looks at how we perceive our online personas, and how easy it
could be for our own skeletons to be dragged from the closet. Are we
really only defined by our hit counts?

Truth or Dare is
a visceral, uncompromising and often gut-wrenching ride which may
struggle to sit well with a mainstream audience, but horror fans -
gorehounds particularly - should relish it, even if they may come
away feeling more than a little disturbed. The claustrophobic central
location - while obviously being an economical filming decision -
gives a hopeless feeling of confinement. Herself a shameless
self-promoter, Jessica Cameron has certainly made a strong and
powerful mark for her directing debut. It will be interesting to see
how she will top this in the future.

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Another short film funded through Kickstarter, and once
again, another example of young talent knocking it out of the park.

She has a simple
set-up. We have a couple, He (Phillip James) and She (Fiona Dourif), clearly
going through 'that' stretch of the relationship in which everything is a
chore; every action from either party is an irritation. But there's more at
play here. There's clearly something wrong which goes deeper than merely
getting complacent with each other. That's something we can all relate to, but the
way He behaves is clearly not in on par with most of us (I hope!) The
unforgivable, horrendous, abuse leads to the film's inevitable, disturbing, and
sickening conclusion.

Written and directed by Chelsey Burden and Mark Vessey, She is a difficult film to discuss
without major spoilers, but it's safe to say by the time the climax arrives,
those who have not been physically sick will be wincing, if not mentally
scarred for life.

It has to be said, Fiona Dourif is fantastic as She,
provoking sympathy and compassion from the audience without uttering a word;
it's all in the facial expression - particularly the eyes. Phillip James,
is similarly is outstanding as He - at first possibly a victim of a trapped
relationship, but then subtly (and then forcefully) revealed to be a suburban
monster; the type of man who gives every man a bad name. His glances evoke emotional responses from the viewer, only this time fear and
revulsion. This isn't apparent straight away, but in the moments it takes to
commit a terrible, heinous act we are told more about him than a full hour of
exposition. The silence is as powerful as any dramatic score could be, and is
perfectly suited to the silent suffering that goes on in these situations.

It's an incredible testament to the first-time directors
that they manage to pull off such a feat. It's even more applaudable that the
denouement they have come up with, while being an extreme horror staple, is
genuinely shocking, repulsive and stomach-churning yet impeccably realised; the
special effect work - all prosthetic - no half-arsed CGI here - by Paul While
is exemplary, almost too real!

As a film debut, She
is a remarkable work. A wonderfully nuanced piece which works even without the
graphic finale, but as it is, it's a conclusion which is untouchable, albeit
perhaps a little too much for some tastes. One can only wonder what Burden and
Vessey have in store for us next, either as a team or collectively, because on
this showing they make a perfect pairing.

If you get a chance to see it on the festival circuit, do
so. It's already gone down a storm at FrightFest in London,
and will be at Grimmfest in Manchester
this coming October (2014)

Sunday, 17 August 2014

A few months back, I reviewed Split-
a short film by Andy Stewart, and was incredibly impressed. Now, he has
completed his planned trilogy of body-horror, The Reflections Trilogy, with Ink.

In Ink, we meet The
Man (Sam Hayman), an oddball loner with a tattoo obsession. There's nothing
particularly strange about that in this day and age. However, he is also
clearly disturbed. He satisfies his compulsion by removing body art from other
people's bodies; crudely stitching the pieces into his own derma. Naturally,
like any addiction, it's hard to stop...

Like Stewart's earlier shorts, Dysmorphia (2012) and Split (2014), Ink deals with an individual suffering
from an extreme form of mental illness. The characters are not monsters; but
they do monstrous things. Ink is the
first in which this manifests in harming others, however. Nevertheless, like
those earlier films, the feelings, emotions, and struggles are all very
relatable. Naturally, not to the extremes of the characters in the films, but
there's certainly an element of coveting that may be familiar to some.

Hayman is simply stunning as 'The Man'; creepy, disturbed
looking (think Jame Gumb crossed with Jason Mewes), and particularly when in
physical pain, very believable. There's very little dialogue, but you are drawn
into this man's world easily, and the use of a very unconventional sound design
is intentionally disorientating and even confusing at first, but becomes fully
immersive, and often nearly as disturbing as the visuals.

Once again, we're faced with some graphic body horror. It's
an immense compliment to Stewart and his effects team, Grant Mason, Deirdre
Flanigan and Lizz Wayt, that I will admit to squirming at least once (and maybe
even twice) during the course of the twenty-minute film. The work that they did
on such a small budget is amazing, and is certainly painful to watch! Naturally,
it would be wrong for me to reveal too much about it, it certainly benefits
from being seen cold, but it's a stunning, if disturbing, piece of art.

There's a large portion of the film based in The Man's flat,
lit only by the beams of sunlight streaming through the ragged curtains, and as
such is rather dark in places. It's a testament to the cinematographer, Alan
McLaughlin, that it looks as good as it does with such a difficult shooting
situation; the natural light is used brilliantly. I imagine it would certainly
look even better seeing this on the big screen. Which hopefully, you'll get a
chance to do come the next round of film festivals. If it's playing somewhere
you are at, do not hesitate to check it out.